O5. Moaning Myrtle

14K 459 105
                                    

The next day, Hermione eagerly followed her classmates toward the dungeons, shivering as it is colder there than in the main castle. A small part of Hermione felt an ounce of excitement, for it was the last lesson of the day and Care for the Magical Creatures had been exhausting. Kettleburn – the Professor- had made the students feed Flobberworms, a ten-inch, toothless brown worm which eats vegetation, especially lettuce and cabbage. She noticed Cepheus Crux approaching her and quickened her steps - now she knew how Harry had felt with Colin Creevey. 

She reached the Potion's classroom and entered, taking her usual seat with Penelope. Professor Slughorn stood by a small gold-coloured caldron, which was emitting steam in characteristic spirals. "Amortentia," he said, "better known as love potion. Amortentia doesn't create actual love, of course. That's impossible. But it does cause a powerful infatuation or obsession. For that reason, it is probably the most dangerous potion in this room." Hermione's eyes widened slightly as she remembered Harry telling her that Tom had been conceived by a love potion. Her eyes travelled to the dark haired boy at the front – who was as stiff as a rock.

"Can anyone tell me the characteristics of this potion?" Her hand rose slowly in the air and Slughorn frowned faintly when he noticed his best student, Tom Riddle, wasn't participating for the first time. "Yes, Miss Lockhart. "

"Amortentia is considered to be a powerful and highly dangerous potion, sir. As stated it's dangerous to underestimate a powerful infatuation. It has a different aroma for everyone who smells it, reminding each person of the things that they find most attractive, even if the person doesn't acknowledge or is unaware of their fondness for the object of their affection themselves."

"Excellent, Miss Lockhart. 10 points to Ravenclaw." Slughorn shot a small look of disappointment and confusion toward Tom with a small glint of fear decorating his gooseberry irises. "Perhaps, you'd like to give it a try, Miss?" The Professor moved the caldron to her table, and she found that she was breathing very slowly and deeply and that the potion's fumes seemed to be filling her up like a drink. It smelled exactly like it did when she last tried.

"I smell freshly mown grass, new parchment and... spearmint toothpaste", she sighed. Him, it smelled of Ronald. Hermione forced back the tears as she restrained herself from crying. How she missed Ron and Harry dearly.


After supper, Hermione stamped up the stairs and turned along another corridor, which was particularly dark; the torches had been extinguished by a strong, icy draft that was blowing through a loose windowpane - it was time to figure out if Tom had opened the chamber yet, or if he was planning on attacking anytime soon. She heard muffled footsteps and peered over her left shoulder to come in contact with those big green haunting eyes. 

"Cepheus ", she yelped, losing her balance and falling to the floor with a loud thud.

His face wore an expression of shock identical to Hermione's. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." She got to her feet, her breathing fast and shallow, her heart doing a kind of drumroll against her ribs. As they stood there, glancing at each other, a door right next to Cepheus opened with an extremely loud bang. Peeves, the Slytherin Poltergeist, came shooting out.

"Why, it's way past curfew!" cackled Peeves, floating above their heads "What're you Ravenclaws up to? Why're you lurking around the castle —" Peeves stopped, halfway through the sentence, cracking an evil grin.

He flipped the right way up, filled his lungs and, before Hermione or Cepheus could stop him, he screamed, "STUDENTS! STUDENTS OUT OF BED! LURKING IN THE CASTLE." The poltergeist then, flew back through the wooden door, cackling madly. Hermione and Cepheus shared a look of desperation, hurrying their steps in synchrony. 

Taming The Serpent [Tom Riddle/Tomione]Where stories live. Discover now